Beverage dispensing device



June 27, 1933- J. THoMsoN E-r AL vBEVERAGE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. -.'51, 1929 Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcr.

BEVERAGE nrsrnnsine Dnvron .Application filed August 31, 1929. Serial No. 389,828.

` Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in beverage dispensing de vices; and has more particular reference to devices for dispensing carbonated or charged V5 beverages, such as ginger ale and the like.

Carbonated or charged 'beverages are in variably kept in cellars or elsewhere in supply containers subjected to a pressure upward of eighty pounds per square inch, and it is neces .110 sary to reduce this to approximately eight or ten pounds before dispensing` in serving glasses lor other vessels. A pressure upward Yof eighty pounds per square inch is believed necessary in supply containers in order to keep the beverage in properly charged condition so as to retain the life and sparkle so highly desirable; but the dispensing of the beverage into serving glasses or other vessels at such a high pressureis impossible, sincev the beverage would be dispensed in substantially spray form and be converted into a light foamy substance and it would also spurt over the edges of the glasses or other vessels when dispensing the beverage into them.

It is, therefore, necessary to reduce the pressure under which the beverage is dispensed; but dispensing should take place under a pressure which will assure retention of the life and sparkle, and yet be dispensed f with slight effervescence so that a light foamy top or collar appears at the top of a clear sparkling body while and directly after filling a glass or other vessel, such light foamy top lending attractiveness to the beverage Y and imparting life and sparkle to the same.

One of the objects of our invention is the o provision of an auxiliaryv or dispensing chamber into which a quantity of the beverage is delivered under high pressure and which in- V cludes means to regulate the pressure at which the beverage is dispensed.

Another object is the provision of fan auxiliary or dispensing chamber of the kind mentioned which can be retained in an ice 45 Yor other refrigerating chamber to keep a quantity of the beverage at the desired low temperature preparatory to dispensing the same in still smaller quantities.

A further object is the provision of an jo auxiliary or dispensing Vchamber of the kindk lastmentioned which has conduit connection with a considerably larger supply container 1n which the mainvbeverage supply is maintained under hiOfh pressure and from which the beverage is fed into theauxiliary ordispensmg chamber in the exact proportion it is gispensed from said lastdnentioned cham- A still further object is to provide new and novel means for regulating'the admission of the beverage from the supply into the dispensmg chamber and the discharge of the bevera age therefrom; and also to permit of varying the pressure under which the beverage may enterand be discharged from said dispensing chamber. i

lVith the above 'andother objects in view to appear hereinafter, our invention consists in the arrangement and in the combination of parts; and in the novel features of conf struction to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inY the subjoined claims.

In the drawingf- Fig. l is a vertical section through our improved dispensing tank.

Fig. 2 is a cross section, taken on line 2-2, Fig. l. l

Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on line 3 3, Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an venlarged cross section, taken on line 4-'-4, Fig. l. Y

Our improved dispensing apparatus comprisesv a suitable dispensing chamber provided with a beverage inlet adapted for conduit connection with a supply lcontainer or storage tank having several times the capacity of said dispensing chamber, and with an outlet having conduit connection with a 90 dispensing faucet which may be at some distancefrom said outlet, and regulating means for controlling the admission of the charged beverage to said dispensing chamber, and the discharge of the beverage therefrom under considerably reduced pressure. Y

Reference being had to the drawing in detail, the numeral 5 designates a chamber `which may have any capacity; it being preferably cylindrical in cross section closed at the 00 bottom and open at the top. This chamber' {Said air-outlet pipe (not shown) -maybe'led may be constructed'of any desired sheet material and at its upper end it has secured thereto in any approved manner a cast and machined collar 6 provided with rabbets 7, 8, at its upper and lower sides, respectively, and along its inner circular edge, to form an inwardly-directed flange 9 which lies against and extends inwardly beyond the edge of the cylindrical sheet metal wall of the chamber. Thus the upper end of the chamber is fitted into the lower rjabbet-S of the collar 6.5 At the lower end of this chamber a clean-out valve 10 is provided which permits the chamber to be easily cleaned by flushing through the upper open end of the same.

A head or cover member 11 is provided to close the upper open end of the chamber and it comprises a flat member12 provided with ya hollow ,upward extension or hood 13 and an axially-disposedbellows chamber 14 having its upper portion ldisposed in said upward extensionor yhood and its lower portion extending into the upper end of the chamber 5, which wehterma dispensing chamber, by reason ofthe beverage being dispensed therefrom; and which. mayialso be termed an auxiliary chamber, due to the fact that it mustbe connected with a supply or storage chamber or tank in lorder to receive the beverage preparatory yto Vdispensing the same as called for. p f Y .l The flatm'ember 12 kof the head or cover member hasan annular` flange or rib 15 on its `under side which fits into the vupper rabbet 7 of the collar 6; and the joint between the head or cover member 11and-thev collar 6 ymay be machined water-tight or made sov by the use of gaskets, or otherwise. Screws` 16 or other suitable fastening meansf'areemployed for securing the head or cover member to said collar. Y 1 Y i Theupwardgextension or hood 11 of the head or cover member has a cylindricaly wall 17 ,rising from the flat member 12 and a top wall 18 provided centrally with a screwthreaded' opening-19. The bellows chamber 14 has its upper end spaced from the top wall of thehood and it is supported by the cylindrical wall of` the hood 13.y The top of said chamber is open, except,l for a flange 20 extending inwardly from the upper end ,of its peripheralwall 21.

The means provided for ysupporting the bellows chamber 14', which serves also as an air-outlet'v chamber, is in the form of a boss 22.cast integral with said bellows or air-.outletchamb'er and said-hood and spanning the both. An. outlet opening 24 is formed through thisviboss and extends through the to. whichanair-outlet pipev may beV secured.

r 39 designates to any desired point, outside of the building or otherwise, and by reason of its connection with the interior of the dispensing chamber, through the medium of the airoutlet chamber 14 and attached parts, permits the escape of air from the dispensing chamber under pressureabove that intended to be maintained withy saidA dispensing chamber.

The peripheral wall of the bellows or airoutlet'l chamber' is also joinedfat other points around its circumference with the base of the hood 13by means of spaced connecting webs 26. The bottom 27 ofthe bellows or air-outlet chamber is preferably a separate member,

,threaded onto the lower end of the peripheral wall of said chamber,fand it has a depending circular baiile flange 28 and an axial external- [ly screw-threaded boss 29 extending4 downwardly therefrom, which boss has a reduced .end portion 30, serving as a valve seat` as will ypresently appear.

Anfair-inlet passagek 31 is formed through the .bottome27fof the bellows or air-outlet chamber and through the boss 29 and reduced end portion or extension 30 of'said boss; said reduced end'po-rtionor extension 30 being therefore in the form of an annular flange depending' from the boss 29,*and the lower edge-fac'efthereof serves asv a .valveseat Jfor a valve32 disposed` in'gavalve cage J33 suspen'dedffrom said boss.

1 The valve cage y33 is'in the forml of a hollow; Cylindrical member open `at `its upper end and closed at its lower end .and it has an vintegral guide' sleeve 311 dependingaxially fromk said closed lower end. 'The upperend of said hollow cylindrical member is internally screw-threaded and fittedn ontoi `Athe-ex ternally screw-threaded boss` 29 and itsperipheralwall is providedwith a plurality'of air-inletopenings 35.

The valve 32 comprises metallic or other suitable head or body portion 36 ofsomewhat 'larger diameter than the valve seat onithefy extension of the -boss 29,and it has upstanding clench lips 37 spaced. around itsmarginal portion, which are bent over and firmly hold a leather or other suitable `valve ,disk 38 against the upper side of said valve head or.

`body portion.

a float which is fastened to the lower end of a valve rod 40 screw-threaded at its upper end' into or otherwise fastened ,to the head or body portion of the valve 32` and guidedfor movement in the guideV sleeve space 23 between the peripheral Iwalls-of i When the dispensing chamber 5 is-emptv or when containing a quantityof the beverage at a level below-normal, the Hout will'` be suspended ina fixed position bv the valve 32, which latter yunder such conditions,- rests against the bott-om 'of the valver cage and causes the air-inlet passage 31 tobe un covered. lvVhenfkhowever, the supply .-of

'icc

kbeverage in the dispensing chamber is normal, the beverage will raise the float and ldistant point where it may besupplied with a suitable' faucet or other device for controlling the dispensing of t-he beverage.

, Mounted on the hood 13 of the head 11 is a receiving chamber 42, which is preferably of cylindrical formation in cross section and has a bottom 43 integral therewith and a relmovable cap or cover 44. This receiving chamber has its lower end externally screwthreaded and entered in the screw-threaded opening formed in the top wall of the hood 13; said top wall having an annular upstandving flange 45 which enters a downwardly opening groove formed in an overhanging annular extension cn the outer face of the receiving chamber; a gasket 46 being placed and tightened between the said upstanding flange and the top wall of said groove to provide a tight connection between the receiving tank and the head or cover member 11, of which said hood forms partf The bottom of said receiving chamber has an escape tube 47 depending axially therefrom which is closed at its lower end and has an axial guide opening 48 in its bottom: and it is also provided with a plurality of openings 49 in its peripheral wall. This escape tube is extended `upwardly into the .receiving chamber 42 a short distance and the upper end thereof serves as a valve seat for a valve V50 adjustably arranged on a valve rod 51 extending downwardly through the guide opening 48 in the bottom of the escape tube and into an expansible or accordion-like kmember 52 which is open at its upper end and may be termed an expansible chamberk or bellows.

This expansible chamber or bellows, in the form shown, comprises a cylindrical circumferentially crimped, pleated, or iuted member having its upper end open and the upper end of its peripheral wall secured to the ange 2O extending inwardly from the upper end of the bellows or air-outlet chamber. The lower end of the expansible chamber or bellows is closed by a disk 53, which s-erves as a rigid bottom for the same kand the lower end of the valve rod 51 is screw-threaded or otherwise axially secured to said disk or bottom.

The removable cap or cover 44 has a depending internally screw-threaded rim 54 `which surrounds and threadingly engages the externally screw-threaded upper end of the peripheral wall of the receiving chamber, and

it also has a sleeve extension 55 rising axially tance and the -valve 50, adjustable thereon,-

therefrom in which the upper end of the valve rod 51 is guided. y

Said valve rod is screw-threaded from its upper end downwardly a considerable disis formed like the valve 32; it comprising a metallic or other solidV head having a screwthreaded axial opening to receive the screw- Athreaded portion of the valve rod. Like valve 32 it has marginal clench lips whiclr 515 are bent against a leather or other suitable valve disk placed against the under side of said valve head; said lips serving to hold said disk firmly against said valve head. The saidvalve disk is of greater diameter than therfeo valve seat formed by the upper end of the escape tube 47, against which it is adapted to be seated. It will be apparent from the construction of the valve described and the manner of supporting it on the valve rod 51, that: it is easily adjustable on said rod.

Surrounding the valve 50 and the valve rod 51 within the receiving chamber 42, is an expansion spring 56, the lower end of which bears against the bottom wall of said cham-'90 ber, while the upper end thereof bears against an abutment 57 in the form of a disk adjustably threaded onto the valve rod 51. In this manner the tension of the spring may be varied and the force or pressure re-iv quired to cause seating of the valve 50 against its seat, governed accordingly. 1

Extending laterally from the receiving chamber 42 is a sleeveV 58, the passage throughF which serves as an inlet for said receiving-100 chamber, or more broadly considered, for the dispensing apparatus; and it has arranged therein a conical sieve 59 to guard against entrance into the dispensing chamber of matter in suspension, or sediment, 105 from the storage or supply tank. Said sleeve 58 has a hose nipple 6() secured thereto by means of a sleeve nut 61, and to this nipple is secured one end of a hose 62 which leads to the storage or supply tank (not shown) The storage or supply tank is usually filled with the beverage and delivered to the dealer or dispenser; the beverages so dispensed being usually in carbonated form maintained Within the tank under high pressure.

Our dispensing apparatus may have its dispensing chamber or beverage container in any desired form, and the parts or mechanisms extending thereinto and surmounting v120 the same, may be varied in form and construction within the scope of the appended claims. The form of such parts and such mechanisms may depend more or less on the particular use to which our invention is put, and also to the particular formation or construction of the dispensing chamber or container 5.

.It is to be understood that the dispensing chamber or container 5 can be disposed with- 130 in any suitable form of outer casin in which, if desired, ice may bep'1aced,or t e interior thereof refrigerated in any approvedzmanner, so that the beverage within the vdispensing chamber will be kept at' a low temperature;

The casing in I placed may be in the form'of a keg, a bottle, or represent any other object, or it may beconstructed in box-like ormwithout' representing any particular. object.. lVe, however,

have in mind in providingacylindrical elongated dispensing'chamber, .to place the'same Vwithin a large casing :of bottle `formation,

which casingcan be painted to represent, for example, a bottle of a particular brand of ginger ale; the coloring ,and painting vof which would simulate bottles in which such particular brand of ginger ale is sold in cases, or otherwise; and when placed upon a counter, will be a novelty advertisement representing in largeA form, the'usual bottles in which theI ginger ale is sold for consumption llat thehome of the purchaser, orv other 'places to `which it may be carried orl delivered from the ydealer or distributor.y f i The operation of the device isasfollows: i

. Assuming the dispensing apparatusto be f EAC5 Connected with a` supply `or lstoragel tank through the medium of the inlet-tube 62, and the beverageV within, said supply or storage tank to be maintained under pressure up- Y wards of eighty-pounds per vsquare inch,*con 36 trol of the passage ofthe beverage through 'said inlet-tube vwill be by means of af valve (not shown) `within said tube or at the supply Vor storage tank-vf: .c Upon opening' said valve, the beverage enters the receiving chamber 42 under the pressureV maintained in the supply or storage tank, and byl reason of the outlet of said receiving chamber, which is the upper open endof the escape-tube 47, being uncovered, due to the 4ktothe fioat 39 being inits lowermost position so asto unseat the valve 32and thus ,establish, through the medium Aof' the air-outlet chamber, connection with' the atmospheric air.. r

When the beverage so supplied to said lastmentioned ch amber'lls thesame, it will overflowand pass out of' the upper `open end of the expansiblechamber 52, around the top-of the air-outlet chamber 14, and. pass down along the side of'said chamber into thedispensing' chamber 5. The beverageso delivered into said dispensing chamberwillbe Y j pressure, which this apparatus maybek chamber 14,

` quicker acting both valves prevented from coming lin contact with the valve cageA 33, or from being carried out through said cage with theescaping air by the depending baiile flange 28.' The air in the dispensing chamber, now above atmospheric will escape throughv the air-inlet 31 in the bottom of the air-outlet and pass out through the out-let opening 24 of said chamber. During such times the valve 82 is held vunseated b ,the valve rod and ioat depending there rom;

passage but" when lthel beverage within said dispensing chamber reaches a certain level, or said chamber is filled 'above said level, the float will rise and close said valve 32, thus prevent-` ing the escape of air from the dispensing chamber.

' When the valve 50 is closed, the pressure within the dispensing chamber will approximate `eight to ten pounds, or any other re.

duced pressuremay be employed which will assure, upon openin of the dispensing pipe 41, lthe discharge o? the beverage from the dispensing chamber at a pressure enabling thel glasses or other vessels to be filled with out Vundue sputtering, and without excessive force, such as would cause the beverage to be forced over the edge of the glass or other vessel without filling the same. A

As the beverage is being dispensed `from the dispensing chamber 5, and the level of the beverage lowers within said chamber, the float will lower accordingly and open the airvinlet passage 31 leading into the air-outlet chamber 14. l p

When the pressure within said dispensing chamber is built up to approximately eight or ten pounds per square inch, which occurs after closingof the valve 32, such pressure is exerted against the beverage contained in the eXpansible chamber 52, thus making it than an `unlled expanslble chamber, and by reason of the fact that the spring 56is adjusted to be overcome by such predetermined pressure, the chamber 52 is expanded,causing the valve rod 51 connected to the bottom of said chamber to be" drawn downwardly and the valve to yclose the upper open end of the escape tube 47. With 32 and 50 closed, the air-within the dispensing chamber is maintained at the ypredetermined pressure of approximately eight or ten pounds, as the case may be, which is to be a desired pressure for beverages of this kind. f

lVhen the level ofthe beverage within the dispensing chamber lowers, thefvalve32 is opened and causesreduction of the air pressure within said dispensing chamber, whereupon the spring 56 is `brought into action and causes'collapse of the expans'ible chamber 52.- This results in-the opening of the valve 50 within thereceiving chamber, and

theI admission of additional beverage under high pressure from the storage tank, ywhereupon the action of supplying the dispensing chamber with the beverage 1s repeated in the manner stated. It will therefore be apparent that the dispensing chamber is provided with the beverage automatically and intermittently in approximately the quantities discharged therefrom, and that the air with` in the dispensing chamber is under the desired pressure and in no manner dependent upon the pressure of the air within the storage tank.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, the combination with a storage tank containing beverage under high pressure, of a beverage receiving chamber connected to said storage tank and having a depending escape tube in its bottom, an expansible chamber into which said escape tube extends, an air-outlet chamber in which said expensible chamber is confined, said expansible chamber being open at the top, said air-outlet chamber -having an air-inlet passage and an air-outlet passage, a dispensing chamber into the upper end of which said air-outlet chamber extends and into which beverage overflows through the upper open end of said expansible chamber, a float-controlled valve adapted to close said air-inlet passage when the beverage in said dispensing chamber reaches a predetermined level, a valve in said receiving chamber operatively connected with a movable wall of said expansible chamber, and a spring within said receiving chamber adapted to normally hold said last-mentioned valve in open position to allow the beverage to pass from said receiving chamber into said expansible chamber under high pressure.

2. A beverage dispensing apparatus, comprising ka dispensing chamber having a cover member closing its upper end, said cover member having a flat portion and a hood rising from said Hat portion, an air-outlet chamber axially disposed in said dispensing chamber and having its upper end entering said hood, said air-outlet chamber being supported from the wall of said hood and spaced from the upper end thereof and having also an air-inlet at its bottom and an air-outlet opening through said hood, an expansible chamber comprising an accordion-like peripheral wall secured at its upper end to the upper open end of said air-outlet chamber and a rigid bottom, a valve for said air-inlet, a float connected to said valve, a beverage receiving chamber mounted on said hood and having a depending escape tube extending into said expansible chamber, said escape tube having a portion extending upwardly into said beverage receiving chamber serving as a valve seat and being provided between its ends with escape openings, a valve rod secured to the rigid bottom of said expansible chamber and extending upwardly through said escape tube into said receiving chamber, an abutment adjustable on said valve rod within said receiving chamber, a spring interposed between said abutment and the bottom wall of said receiving chamber, and a valve adjustable on said valve rod within said spring.

3. A beverage dispensing apparatus, comprising a dispensing chamber, a controlling means for admitting the beverage under high pressure to said dispensing chamber including an expansible chamber, means allowing the escape of air beyond atmospheric pressure during the supplying of said dispensing chamber with the beverage including an air outlet chamber axially disposed in said dispensing chamber and having an air inlet at its bottom and an air outlet at its upper end, said expansible chamber being disposed within said air inlet chamber and opening at its upper end, a valve for said air inlet, a ioat connected to said valve, and a baffie surroundi ing said valve to prevent the beverage from coming in contact therewith, said controlling means being governed by said predetermined pressure acting against said expansible chamber to shut off the supply of beverage to said dispensing chamber under high pressure.

4;. A beverage dispensing apparatus, comprising a beverage dispensing chamber to which a beverage is supplied under pressure and from which it is discharged, and a pressure control device including an expansible chamber filled at all times with the beverage to be dispensed and located between the supply to said dispensing chamber a-nd the discharge therefrom. Y

5. A beverage dispensing apparatus, comprising a beverage dispensing chamber to which a beverage is supplied under pressure and from which it is discharged, a pressure control device including an expansible chamber in the upper end of said dispensing chamber filled at all times with the beverage and from which the beverage is adapted to overiiow into said dispensing chamber, an air chamber surrounding said expansible chamber provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, spring-actuated valve mechanism between said expansible chamber and the inlet of the beverage to said dispensing chamber functioning to admit the beverage to said expansible chamber, and means to close the air inlet of said air chamber governed by the beverage in said dispensing chamber.

In testimony whereof, we aiiix our signatures.

JOHN THOMSON. JOHN LANGFELDER. 

